On my link to Jeremy Corbyn and the smear campaign against me and him in the UK

​When a friend called me this morning to tell me that the British tabloid *The Sun* had dedicated an entire article to me, I thought he must be confusing me with someone else. *The Sun*? Shouldn’t they be preoccupied with a model facing an eating disorder or a Tory lord who can’t keep his pants on around young women? Ever since Jeremy Corbyn emerged as a serious contender for the Labour leadership, the attack dogs have been set loose. Corbyn is the ruling elite’s worst nightmare in Britain and beyond: a man who has stood unwavering throughout his political career, committed to his socialist ideals, supporting legitimate resistance, and championing dialogue between peoples.

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In this context, I briefly met and collaborated with Jeremy Corbyn in 2009. We organized a debate at the British Parliament where Corbyn, Hezbollah MP (now a Lebanese government minister) Hussein Haj Hassan, and I spoke. The day before, we had also addressed a rally of the British anti-war movement. Corbyn’s openness to dialogue made the visit possible. Soon after, the pro-Israel lobby sprang into action, launching a smear campaign against me that led to a hasty and unjustified decision by the interior minister to deny me re-entry to the UK. That campaign echoed the same narrative now being driven by the pro-Israel lobby and conservatives, accusing me of anti-Semitism, bigotry, and celebrating the deaths of British soldiers.

The first claim is the most frequently repeated and rests on two main points. First, my opposition to Zionism and the policies of the state of Israel. I am indeed an advocate for a "one secular state for all" solution in Palestine, similar to the dismantling of the apartheid system in South Africa. I do not support ethnic-religious colonial states, whether they are Jewish, Muslim, or Buddhist. Therefore, supporters of Israel as an ethnic-religious colonial state have every reason to react with horror to my position. However, when they label me as anti-Semitic for holding these views, their accusations have no foundation. Equating Zionism with Judaism, as they do in these cases, is itself anti-Semitic.

The second reason for the accusations of anti-Semitism traces back to 2006 when the AEL, under my leadership, launched a campaign of satirical cartoons and articles in response to the Danish cartoons that stereotyped and vilified Muslims by mocking their prophet. Our campaign set out to expose the blatant double standards embedded in Europe's so-called discourse on freedom of speech. The AEL didn't hold back—we shattered every taboo in sight, publishing content that managed to offend various people and groups for all sorts of reasons.

What’s crucial to remember is that every cartoon came with a clear disclaimer: we did not endorse the content; this was an exercise in freedom of speech designed to shine a spotlight on hypocrisy. We were “Charlie” avant la lettre, so to speak. And our campaign hit its mark. Not only did we receive thousands of hate mails and death threats from Europe’s otherwise “pro-satire” enthusiasts, but the AEL was also fined by a Dutch court over the campaign. Yet, we made our point and rested our case. 

It’s worth noting that I was never convicted—not for this, nor for anything else, for that matter. The smear campaign stops at accusations, never facts.

Now, one can question our tactic, but no one can claim that we supported the content of satire that we have ourselves, at the time, characterized as vile and offensive and meant only to demonstrate hypocrisy. Such a claim would be false, and utterly ludicrous.

The accusation of bigotry (against homosexuals and other groups)  is also to be brought back to that same satire campaign and the same context, and is therefore groundless.

As for rejoicing the death of British occupation soldiers in Iraq, this is a misrepresentation of a position that I still uphold until this day. The occupation and destruction of Iraq in 2003 was unlawful, criminal and a crime against humanity. We still witness the repercussions of that terrible crime until this day. The criminals responsible for it, including Tony Blair, are still at large, enjoying impunity. Every soldier taking part in an illegal occupation is a legitimate target for resistance. This is a guaranteed right of resistance to all occupied peoples under international law. However, rejoicing the death of people, even enemy soldiers, is not something that I would do. Rejoicing the victory of people's resistance against occupation, is another matter.

So here you have the other side of the story, and you can judge for yourself. 
This so-called “fanatic,” “firebrand,” “extremist,” “terrorist” is also a respected columnist for a prestigious center-right newspaper in Belgium and was ranked the 4th most influential Belgian of foreign origin, surpassed only by former Prime Minister Di Rupo, Green Party Leader Almaci, and Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany. If you believe you can turn back the clock to 2003, when Belgium reacted with hysteria to our emancipation movement, the AEL, you are gravely mistaken. It is now 2015, and in that time, I have won every legal case brought against me. Even some who stood as adversaries then have become allies today.
Yes, I do support Jeremy Corbyn, and I am hopeful he will win the leadership of Labor and help build a better future for the British people. I am like Mr Corbyn a socialist, and we do share similar values. This does not mean that I agree with him on everything, and I am sure that he also disagrees with me on some things. He was not my cheerleader back then, and I am not his cheerleader today, serious people do not reason in these terms.
The subliminal ego of British conservatism is a sewer that stinks to centuries of colonial theft, oppression, murder and lies. And I am catching a tiny bit of that stench right now. It makes me more determined to revisit the UK, to speak to people there, and to struggle together for a better future in Europe and beyond. See you soon in London.